Thickener.



A. E. VANDERCOOK.

THICKENER. APPLICATION FILED IULYI, I9I4. l 291ML Patented May 9, i916.

TToR/VE Ys.

UNITED srnrr PATENTFFICE. h'

i ALBERT E. VANDERCOX, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFRNIA, ASSIG-NOR T CALIFORNIAMACVAN QOMPANY, CORPORATION 0F CALIFORNIA.

. THICKENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 21, 1914. Serial No. 852,162.

`To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. VANDER- I cooK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Alameda, county of Alameda,

and State of California, have invented cer-- tain new and usefulImprovements in Thickeners, of which the following is a speciication.`

The invention relates to thickeners or de1 waterers which' are employedfor separating the solid or semisolid material from the yliquid or pulpcontaining the same.

, 'Ihe object of the invention is to provide a thickener which is highlyefiicient in operation.

Anothery object of the invention is to provide a thickener in whichforce is continuously applied to the settled material to move videalthickener in which the weight of the material in the thickener assistsin moving the collected material toward the outlet.

The invention possesses other advantageous features some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth at length in* thefollowing description,where I shall outline in full that form of the invention whichI haveselected for illustrationl in the drawings accompanying and4 formingpart of the present specification. f s

In the drawings I have shown only one specific form of my genericinvention, but `it is to be understood that Ido not limit myself tovsuch form because my invention may be embodied in a multiplicity offorms, each being a species of my said invention. It is also to beunderstood that by the claims succeedingthe description of my invention,I desire, to cover thev invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of thethickener. Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line A-A Fig. 1.

The thickener of my invention is particularly adapted to be used inmetallurgical operations, for separating the solid and semisolidmaterial from ore pulp, and I shall describe 1t 1n this connectionherein, but itis to be understood that it may be used in otheroperations in other industries for dewateringor thickening pulp orsimilar masses. VIn metallurgical work the ore pulp *consists of groundor pulverized ore and-fa large percentage of water or solution, and itis desirable -to reduce the percentage of water or solution in the pulp.The ore particles are of heavier specific gravity than the water orsolution in which they are contained, and

settle through the liquid, and the purpose of the thickener is tocollect the settled ore particles and remove them from the liquid.

The thickener comprises a tank 2, tpreferably cylindrical in shape,provided atthe center of the bottom withs a discharge outlet 3, whichiscontrolled by a vvalve 4c. Ar-

ranged concentrically in the tank and'projecting aboveY the upper edgethereof is a shaft 5 which is supported von suitable bearings 6 arrangedon the frame or structure 7 .which is arranged above the tank. The

structure 7 is removably secured to the cross beams 21 which are securedto the top ofthe tank and Vattached to the upper end of the shaft 5 is aclevis 22 for receiving a hook which may be employed for raising'theshaft f and its attached mechanism out of or above the bottom of thetank. Secured to the shaft blades are preferably substantially fiatspi-` rals. @ne spiral is advanced 180 degrees with respect to theother,producing a balanced construction, kbut itis evident that only onespiral may be employed when desirable. Each spiral preferably subtendsan angle of 360 degrees or more, so that the y material is graduallymoved toward the center by the rotation thereof. When the shaft is'slowly i rotated the settled 'material is gradually and continuouslymoved. toward.

the discharge opening in the center of the tank. The spirals arepreferably construct` ed lnsuch manner that the succeeding turnsthereof, rogressing inwardly, lie closer together, t at 1s, the distancebetween the succeeding turns decreasesinwardly. This produces a moreeiicient thickening -or dewa` tering of thel pulp, by moving the settledparticles into smaller space, thereby expelling the liquid and producinga thicker mass.

lin the tank. Arrangedover the inner ends of the spirals and preferablysecured thereto or to the bars 9, 1s a plate 13, which bears agalnsttheupper edge of the spiral and rotates therewith and under which ythecolfrfminate' at the lected material is conveyed by the spirals. Thisplate, which is preferably concentric mass frombeing crowded upwardabove the level of the spirals as it approaches the center and in thatmanner increases the eiiiciency ofthe thickener and also assists inforcing the mass through the outlet. It is preferable,` though notessential v that the spirals extend under the plate, and the inner endsof the spirals may terperiphery of the plate when desirable, althoughthls construction will not produce so efficient a thickener as theconstruction illustrated. The sustains the pressure of the liquid in thetank at the center,

the plate.

the material toward the outlet.

Arranged above thev plate 13 and sur-l prevents the deposit of the oreparticles on the plate 13,v and deflects the entering material outwardradially. The material to be thlckened is preferably fed into the. tankthrough the concentric conduit 15, which terminates at its upper endabove the top of y,the tank. The pulp may be conveyed to the conduit 15by the launder 16. Surrounding the tank atits upper edge is an overflowlaunder 17 provided with a' vdischarge pipe 18. f

In operation, pulp is flowed continuously into the tank and the settledore particles are caught by the revolving spirals and `movedcontinuously ,inwardly toward th the par-l wlth the discharge outletprevents the thick Y.

so that vertical pressurel downward is not vexerted onthe mass below Thepressure on this mass is lat- ,erally or radially inward, therebyforcing bottom thereof and having aplurality ofconvolutions in a planeintersecting its axis of rotationat an angle, the successive con-Volutions of the blade lying closer together as the blade progressesinwardly, and means for rotating said blade about said axis. 2. Athickener comprising a tank, means therein rotatable about a'verticalaxis .for moving settled material toward the center of the tank andmeans at the center of the tank acting in conjunction with saidrotatable means for pressing the collected material together.`

3. A thickener comprising a tank,means `therein rotatable about avertial axis for moving settled material towar the center of the tankand a' plate overlying andarranged in close proximity to said means atthe center adapted to prevent upward movement of the collected material.

4:. A thickener comprising a tank, ahorizontally rotatable curvedelement therein terminating at its inner end adjacent the center of. thetank and a liplate overlying the inner end of said element and bearingagainst the upper edge thereof.'v a

5..A thickener comprising a'tank, a horizontally rotatable spiral bladetherein arranged adjacent the bottom of the tank and extending fromadjacent the periphery to adjacent the center of said tank and a plate,overlying the inner end ofI saidblade and arranged in close proximity tosaid blade.

6. A thickener comprising a tank having an outlet in the bottom thereof,rotatable Vmeans within said tank for moving material vtoward saidoutlet and a plate arranged on and directly over Asaid means anddirectly above said outlet whereby lateral pressure toward said outletis exerted against the underlying material. Y

7. A thickener-.comprising a tank' having :an outlet in the center ofthe bottom thereof,

rotatable means within said tank for continuously moving material towardsaid outlet, and a plate overlying and in contact with the inner ends ofsaid means and forming therewith al chamber into which the collectedmaterial is forced. .v

8. A thickenercomprising a tank .having an outlet in the center of thebottom thereof,

a horizontally rotatable element therein having a curved forward faceextending from adjacent the vperiphery ofthe vvessel to adjacent; saidoutlet and a plate overlying blade arranged n said tank adjacent thematerial together.

bottom and extending from adjacent the pe- 15 riphery of the tank toadjacent said outlet, and a circular plate overlying the inner end ofsaid blade and in engagement therewith for the purpose of pressing thecollected 20 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at SanFrancisco, California, this y15th day of July, 1914.

ALBERT yE. 'VANDERCOOK.

In presence of* EUGENE4 W. KAY, HJ G. FROST.

